


Chlorine and Mackerel

by starlightsuga (bedroomdemos)



Category: Free!
Genre: Clothing, Cooking, Fluff, M/M, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 18:33:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bedroomdemos/pseuds/starlightsuga
Summary: When Rin sleeps over at Haru's place, he forgets to pack extra clothes. Again.





	Chlorine and Mackerel

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written on June 9, 2014 — now edited!! Crossposted from [Tumblr](http://chingeki.tumblr.com/post/88340458586/chlorine-and-mackerel) if you're down to reblog it there, too (wink wink nudge nudge)

The first time Rin sleeps over at Haruka's, he forgets his clothing by accident. 

"Haru, I didn't bring my swimming bag with me. Do you mind if I borrow your clothes for the night?"

Haruka is already in the kitchen when Rin asks him this. He takes the mackerel out of the fridge, along with the spices he normally uses for dinner, since swim practice from earlier made him hungry. Rin takes off his shoes and walks into the kitchen, not even the least bit surprised when he sees Haru already putting his apron on over his swimsuit. Of  _course_ he hasn't changed yet; Rin can't help but smile. "What should I grab?" 

"Anything in the dryer." The raven-haired boy doesn't move from his place by the stove. "I should have a hoodie and shorts up there." 

Rin makes his way to the dryer, taking out a blue hoodie and a pair of black and blue shorts. He doesn't bother zipping up the hoodie. That night, Rin falls asleep on the couch with his nose close to the fabric. Haruka just sighs at the sleeping figure before draping a light blanket over him and heading to his room to get his own sleep. 

 

 

 

The second time Rin sleeps over at Haruka's, he forgets his clothing subconsciously. 

He had remembered his swimming bag this time, but when he brings it up to Haruka's room (because, in Haru's words, he didn't want Rin passing out in the middle of his guilty-pleasure k-drama again) he realizes that most of the space is taken up by his damp towel, dirty boxers, and skinny jeans from before practice. He doesn't have a shirt with him. 

"Haru?" he calls. There's a faint  _hm?_ in reply. "I might've forgotten my clothes again. Do you still have that hoodie?" 

"Second drawer on the left." Rin slips the sweater over his head for a second time and pauses, smelling the fabric. It doesn't carry the scent of detergent like it did the last time. This time around, the smell is distinctly Haru's: strong in cooked mackerel and faint in chlorine. Rin doesn't find it strange that he likes such a scent, but he can't help finding it embarrassing when he feels his cheeks heat up as he sticks his hands into Haruka's hoodie. 

Rin is also pretty sure that it's the scent of Haru's home that helped him fall asleep so easily the week before. Not that he'll say anything about it.

 

 

 

The third time Rin sleeps over at Haruka's, he forgets his clothing on purpose.

They go through the same routine of Rin asking for a spare shirt and Haruka directing him to whatever is in his closet. Rin walks into the kitchen moments later, grabbing a cupful of rice and a few fresh vegetables from the fridge. "Y'know, Haru," he says, straining to grab a pair of scissors before he sets everything down, "it's been a while since we cooked together. Remember when we used to do that years ago?" 

"Yeah," Haruka says. He takes the vegetables out from Rin's arm. "You almost set the house on fire." 

Rin laughs. "I left that part out on purpose, but I can see you still remember it pretty clearly."

"It _is_ my house." 

Rin takes over the stove after Haruka finishes cooking the fish and, surprisingly, the rice and vegetables aren't ruined when they're scraped onto their plates. Haru gives Rin a small nod of approval and Rin can't help but smile. 

When they sit down to watch a new episode of Rin's k-drama, they end up on the same couch instead of him sitting alone and Haruka taking his place on the floor, as per usual. Haru had noticed Rin's choice of borrowed clothing, which was Haru's favourite high-neck pullover—the very one Rin gifted him with on his last birthday. He can't deny that the pullover looks  _e_ _xtremely_ good on him. 

Not that he says anything. 

Haru directs his attention back to the television screen and, not long after, he feels the friend's head on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Rin tries his best to act nonchalant as he "scratches his face" more often than he should  _just_ so he can get a whiff of the fabric's scent. He notices that, this time, the sweater smells like more than just chlorine and mackerel. It smells like  _home—_ like Haruka's entire being, everything that makes him  _him_ , and Rin can't help but melt into it. 

Rin believes that Haru doesn't notice this the entire time, but it's more than obvious, especially when Rin falls asleep on Haru. One hand, shrouded in a sweater paw, covers Rin's nose. 

Haru is happy that Rin's asleep; he can't see the blush creeping onto his cheeks.  

 

 

 

The fourth time Rin sleeps over at Haruka's, he brings his own clothing.

It's not like he _wanted_ to bring them, but he doesn't want to appear too obvious. He would have borrowed Haruka's clothing for the fourth time in a single month, always after swim practice. He emerges from Haru's room in his own white t-shirt and jeans. and almost runs into Haru down the stairs. "Ah, sorry. I didn't see you—" 

"You brought your own clothes?" 

Rin blinks, taken aback by Haruka's interruption. Had he noticed that Rin found his scent calming and homey enough to help him sleep? "I—uh, yeah, I did. I thought it was about time." 

Haru walks past Rin and into his bedroom, leaving the latter standing on the steps. When he walks back out, he throws the same high-necked pullover from the week before at him and walks down the stairs as fast as possible. "Put that on," Haruka says. 

"Wait, what?" Rin's fingers dig into the pullover. "Why?" 

"You seem to like this more than my hoodie." Haruka shrugs and walks down towards the front door, slipping his shoes on. His bright blue eyes meet Rin's deep red irises and Rin is sure that his face is the same colour as his hair. As an afterthought, he adds, "You look good in it." 

"You want me to go our wearing your sweater?" 

Haruka shrugs again. "Why not? I... thought it would be nice to grab some food at that little place down the street. We haven't gone out yet." He pauses. "You also smell it a lot." 

"I'm not—I, uh—I'm—" Rin stops talking completely. He gives in, takes his t-shirt off, and puts on the pullover. He pushes the sleeves halfway up his forearms. 

"Pass me your shirt," Haruka says. 

Rin doesn't ask why and tosses him the bunched shirt. Rin watches as the blue-eyed boy pulls the shirt over his head, unable to ignore how the neckline of the shirt is lower than it should be because of their difference in height. He likes the way Haruka looks in his shirt, and when Haru rolls the sleeves once (because they're a little too long), Rin takes in how defined the boy's arms really are. "Are you taking me out on a date?" 

"I guess so," Haruka says, "but you don't really need to call it that." They step out of the house and into the spring breeze. The redhead hears him mutter  _baka_ under his breath, as if it can stop the blush creeping onto his cheeks. 

"Say, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Why did you want to wear my shirt?" 

Haru hums slightly. "You've worn mine enough times, so it's fine if I wear yours, isn't it?" Rin's ears heat up at how bluntly Haruka had caught onto Rin. All he does is ignore the blush and throw and arm around Haru's shoulders. Haru's probably still blushing, but Rin doesn't need to look at him to know that. 

Rin can't voice how cute he finds Haruka just yet. Having him learn that Rin likes borrowing his clothes on purpose is enough for one night. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Might I just say I can't believe Free! is still valid in 2017? I mean I'm getting nostalgic just seeing people still posting fics in the fandom, but I thought it was about time I share my old fics with ao3. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this little drabble—feel free to leave kudos/comments!! And don't forget to subscribe to me if you enjoy my writing ♡
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/twinleafs) | [ko-fi](http://ko-fi.com/developments)


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